Bonus Clearing at FTP

I have been considering depositing large amount (500 or 600) at FTP to take advantage of their 100% bonus. I saw that for ever dollar in rake, u get 1 FTP point, which is only equal to 6 cents when clearing the bonus. My question is, is it realisticly possible to clear a whole 500 or 600 dollar bonus playing 2 tables of 25NL? If you only get a point when the rake reaches 1 dollar in a hand, I think it would be nearly impossible to clear a large bonus playing 25NL.

I cleared my entire bonus at FT, but I played .05/.10 NL Omaha/8. The rake is 10% so you earn more points (but pay more rake). Just pick tables with high average pots and nut peddle and let the donks clear your bonus for you.

my wifes account never got her bonus cleared, I tryed to clear it playing like 8 tables of .05/.10 but kinda gave up on it. Let me check it real quick.........yep $445 in bons money which the bonus expires in 4 days, doubt if im clearing that.

Unless you play pretty much full time it would be near enough impossible to completely clear the FT bonus playing 2 tables of 25NL.

IIRC the FT bonus is released in parts though, so it may still be worth throwing the money on and clearing what you can.

I cleared about 25% of my bonus. But since I am not much of a cash player, it was no biggy.

I ran out of time to clear it.

Forgot to say above, I played 8 tables at a time and about 3 1/2 hours per day for most of the 4 months.

Got to observe a lot of Omaha/8 players and took some pretty good notes. Now those folks are playing at the .10/.25 and I have a great database of notes. Anything under 4-6 tables and I don't think you could clear the bonus.

bw07507 said:

I have been considering depositing large amount (500 or 600) at Full Tilt Poker to take advantage of their 100% bonus. I saw that for ever dollar in rake, u get 1 FTP point, which is only equal to 6 cents when clearing the bonus. My question is, is it realisticly possible to clear a whole 500 or 600 dollar bonus playing 2 tables of 25NL? If you only get a point when the rake reaches 1 dollar in a hand, I think it would be nearly impossible to clear a large bonus playing 25NL.

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FTP releases the bonus in 10% increments as earned and I think they give you 3 months to clear the whole thing. With your BR, I'd try 3-4 tables of 25NL or 4+ tables of 10NL (I see a decent amount of all-ins at 10NL on FTP). That's if you are one who can keep up with the action safely.

Even if you only clear something like 70% before time's up, it's still a good deal.

I honestly dont see a downside to putting money in?


free money is free money.

I leeched a ton of FPPs on Stars playing 1/2 SHL, so you could probably do something similar.

I honestly dont see a downside to putting money in?


free money is free money.

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yea, i guess your right. I recently hit a bad swing on stars, and i felt myself starting to tilt. Before, when this has happened i have lost hundreds of dollars in days, so I decided to make sure I didnt play anymore, I withdrew all 250 dollars that I had on the site (deposited 50 in the beginning of august, so I am happy being +200). I was also starting to play constantly, and I really need to start studying more. I have always tried to go on breaks in the past, but I always end up just playing anyways a day later, so I figured withdrawing everything would make me keep my promise. I have to wait til i get my check to redeposit anyways and figured Id give FT a try. Might just deposit 250 or so in a week or two and not worry about the bonus too much, whatever I clear, I clear.

I really kind of want to deposit 500 and take a real shot at 25NL, I made a bunch playing 25NL at bodog, but my ring game history at pokerstars has been asbsolutely abysmal (lots of 10NL and a small sample of 25NL). Id have to see if I could come up with 500 to deposit, but if I could my confidence is so terrible right now, i doubt i would even play good. S&Gs have been all my profit at PS, but I get bored of them easily.

MrSticker said:

Full Tilt Poker releases the bonus in 10% increments as earned and I think they give you 3 months to clear the whole thing... Even if you only clear something like 70% before time's up, it's still a good deal.

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This is what happened to me, I ended up clearing 70% of my bonus before I ran out of time. But because it's not an all-or-nothing thing, you can just clear as much as you can in the time allotted.

Get rake back if you deposit. You get the same bonus + 27% rake back.

To find a site just put rake back full tilt into google and register for one of the sites.

flint said:

Get rake back if you deposit. You get the same bonus + 27% rake back.

To find a site just put rake back full tilt into google and register for one of the sites.

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Dude, then Cardschat wouldn't get the affiliate bonus for his signup. The affiliate bonus is what funds the freerolls. I bet you didn't know that.

I was recently given a $50 bonus for free on FTP, but I only have 2 weeks to clear it. So, what would be the best and fastest way to clear this? I am trying to follow good BR management so, I dont feel comfortable moving up in SNG limits or multi-tabling .10/.25 cash games.

I could play at my normal limits @ $5.50 SNGs, but since the bonus is cleared $5.00 at a time, Im looking at a $5.50 SNG freeroll rather than a $5.00 bonus, unless I happen to make it ITM in every game I play.

Im thinking if I drop down the limits to $1.25 (Turbo) SNGs, these being a lot easier to beat and a lot faster, I can unlock more bonus points this way. Also, the losses wont be as bad if I hit a down swing and I can look at it 4 $1.25 SNG freerolls. Also, multi-tabling 4 $1.25 SNGs will be simliar to playing 1 $5.50 SNG when it comes to earning FTP points, but I have better chance of making it ITM + earning points/clearing my bonus at the same time.

As for cash games, I guess I could min-buy on a very, very active .05/.10 table and just play a** tight, while everyone else clears the bonus for me.

Took me 2 days to clear a $50 bonus........:\

Ignore the last part of my post when it comes to cash games.


As for cash games

The rake for a 6 person .10/.25 cash game is 5% of pot @ .75 and up.
Say you pick a table with $2.00 average pots
$2.00 x .05 = rake of .10
1 full orbit = 6 x 2 = 12.00 x .05% rake = .60
Blinds = .35 every orbit (assuming I dont play a hand, dont call a raise in the BB, and I dont complete the SB.)
10 orbits x .60 rake = $6 = 6 FTP points
6 FTP points x .06 bonus = .36
10 orbits x .35 blinds = 3.5 in blinds
$3.5 in blinds to win .36 in bonus = -$3.14

@ $5.00 average pot, 10 orbits
$3.5 in blinds to win .90 in bonus = -$2.6

@ $10 average pot, 10 orbits
$3.5 in blinds to win $1.8 in bonus = -$1.7

@ $20 average pot, 10 orbits
$3.5 in blinds to win $3.6 in bonus = + .10 Good luck finding this...

The rake for a 6 person .05/.10 cash game is 10% of the pot @ .75 and up.
Say I pick a 6 person .05/.10 table that averages $2.00 pots
$2.00 x .10 = rake of .20
I full orbit = 6 x 2.00 = 12.00 x .10% rake = $1.2 in rake for every orbit.
Blinds = -.15 every orbit (assuming I dont play a hand, dont call a raise in the BB, and I dont complete the SB.)
($1.00 rake = 1 FTP point = .06 in bonus)
10 orbits x $1.2 rake = $12 total rake = 12 FTP points.
12 FTP points x .06 bonus = .72
10 orbits x .15 blinds = $1.5 in blinds
$1.50 in blinds to win .72 in bonus = -.78

@ $4.00 average pot, after 10 orbits
$1.50 in blinds to win $1.44 = -.06

@ $5.00 average pot, after 10 orbits.
$1.50 in blinds to win $1.8 = +.30 = profitable

Of course, this is assuming you dont play any hands and the average pot stays around the same. Of course, this probably wont happen and its very likely there will be pots without any rake and there will be huge pots that'll pull in a big rake to balance things out. Also, its very unlikely that a person will sit there and not play a single hand. I still say its wise to max buy in to maximize your profits off of your big hands while earning the bonus points. For max value, i'd say its best to play in a 6 handed .05/.10 table with big average pot size + high percentage of players involved in each pot. Im assuming 9 handed has the same percentage of rake, but the cost in blinds after 10 orbits is still the same, you just get to see a few more extra hands before you have to pay.

I just checked on FTP

Rake for .10/.25 6-9 players is .05 for every $1.00 in the pot. Max rake = $3.00

Rake for .05/.10 6-9 players is .05 for every .50 in the pot. Max rake = $2.00

I sent FTP an email inquiring about how the Bonus is released when it comes to SNGs and MTTs. Im just clearing up a few questions I have. Hopefully, when I get a response, I can figure out the most effect way to clear my bonus.

Ok, so I got a response from FTP. When it comes to MTTs and SNGs, for every dollar in entry fees you spend, you earn 7 points or .42 cents.

For example if you sign up for a $50 + $5 tournament, then $5 is your entry fee. $5 x 7 points x .06 (per point) = $2.10 of your bonus released.

Since I play more SNGs than I do MTTs, I checked to see what would be the most effect way to unlock as much of my bonus as I could without really putting my BR at risk.

1. 1 + .25 SNGs
4 games x $1 + .25 = $5 ($1 entry fee = .42 of bonus cleared)

1st place = $4.50 = $3.25 profit.
2nd place = $2.70 = $1.45 profit

A. 2 x 1st = $6.50 - $5(total buy in for 4 games) = $1.50 + .42 (bonus) = $1.92 in profits

B. ((1st)$3.25 + (2nd)$1.45) - $5 = -.30 + .42(bonus) = .12 in profit

So, to be profitable at this level while clearing your bonus, you need to take first 2/4 games (to be very profitable) or 1st + 2nd/4 games (to almost break even).

2. $2 + .25
4 games x $2 + .25 = $9 ($1 entry fee = .42 of bonus cleared)

1st place = $9 = $6.75 profit
2nd place = $5.40 = $3.15 profit

($6.75 + $3.15) - $9(total buy in for 4 games) = .90 + .42(bonus) = +$1.32 in profit

So, to be profitable at this level while clearing your bonus, you need to take at least 1st + 2nd/4 games. Though, 1st 2/4 games would be better.

3. $5 + .50
2 games x $5 + .50 = $11 ($1 entry fee = .42 of bonus cleared)

1st place = $22.5 = $17 profit
2nd place = $13.50 = $8

A. $17 - $11(total buy in for 2 games) = $6 + .42(bonus) = $6.42 profit

B. $16 (2 x 2nd) - $11 = $5 + .42(bonus) = $5.42 profit

So, in order to be profitable at these limits you need to take 1st/2 games or go 2/2 with 2nd place.

So, given this, I need to take at least a 50% 1st place win rate in order to clear my bonus + profit in the long run, because it doesnt make any sense if its costing me $5 of my BR just to clear .42 of my bonus. Im following BR management and I am able to play the $5 + .50 SNG limits, but I think Im really putting a lot of pressure on myself to take 1st 1/2 games. While it will increase my BR, my goal at this moment is clearing as much of bonus as I can in my short time limit. I might be clearing my bonus quicker, but Im also putting a lot of my BR at risk just to earn a small percentage of my BR. Of course, if my goal was to build my BR, I would continue to play at these levels, but right now Im interested in the bonus and its not these best to do so at these levels.

While I can afford the $2 + .25 limits as well, I think playing the $1 + .25 limits are my best bet. The reason being is if I do downswing at this limit, it will not really hurt my BR, but I'll also be clearing my bonus as well. Also, its a lot easier to place in 1/4 games than it is to place in 1/2 games. While I'll still be in the negative if I take 1st 1/4 games, given how much of a bonus I clear, it'll be a very small loss in my overall BR. And if I happen to hit an upswing, I'll increase my BR by a tiny bit and clearing my bonus at the same time. Also, its easier to beat the micro limits.

So, not wanting to put my BR at risk just to clear my bonus, Im going to be playing as many $1 + .25 SNGs and clearing as much of my bonus as I can. Then afterwards, I'll go my to regular limits.

I pretty much play on fulltilt everyday and still waiting to fully release all of my deposit bonus

Im a retard.

Im looking at this the wrong way. Why should I drop a level in limits just to clear my bonus account? Thats stupid.

My best option is to continue to follow my normal BR management rules, play at the limits I can afford, and the let the bonus clear naturally. In fact, its probably best that I pretend I dont have a bonus. For some reason, knowing the bonus is there has changed how I've been playing because Im so hell-bent on clearing as much as I can in 2 weeks. I've dropped down 2 levels with the plan of clearing my bonus, but I've overlooked my main goal which is to build up my BR and move up in limits, not down.

philthy said:

Im a retard.

Im looking at this the wrong way. Why should I drop a level in limits just to clear my bonus account? Thats stupid.

My best option is to continue to follow my normal BR management rules, play at the limits I can afford, and the let the bonus clear naturally. In fact, its probably best that I pretend I dont have a bonus. For some reason, knowing the bonus is there has changed how I've been playing because Im so hell-bent on clearing as much as I can in 2 weeks. I've dropped down 2 levels with the plan of clearing my bonus, but I've overlooked my main goal which is to build up my BR and move up in limits, not down.

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Retard is a bit harsh. You do need to decide on what your goals are, and it sounds like you have. When I first put $$ on Tilt, my sole goal was to clear all of my bonus, so I went for whatever method I could find that would accomplish that. If you are letting the "bonus play" affect your game, then it is good that you see that and realize it. Good luck on whatever path you choose!